Making Things a Bit More Homey

I've lived in my 'new' apartment for several months now, and for the longest time, it didn't look much different than it did the day I moved in. I put my bed up, of course. Stocked the kitchen with the necessary utensils, plugged the TV in and put the clothes in the closet. But, that was about it. I went on the first of several work trips the day after I moved in, and then just didn't seem to be around much for anything other than sleeping for quite a while.

So, I left boxes stacked up. And random furniture scattered about.

But then something magical happened. My mom found the most perfect little table for my most precious little dining room. And so I went about making one little spot feel like home.
Here's the dining room at night. The black table and chairs, and the dark brown stand were both purchased at auctions. They don't go together perfectly, but I like them both in the dining room nonetheless, especially since I use the shelves in the stand for dining room storage (extra napkins, place mats, candles, etc.). The red place mats and candlesticks are from my recent Pine City adventure, and the gold curtain is just one my mom randomly gave me in a box of stuff she didn't want (curtain rod purchased at Target).

And here's the dining room from a different angle during the day with art. This piece used to hang above my bed in the old apartment, but I like it better now with the dining room colors.

I still have quite a bit more to do in order to fully transform the apartment, but I'm pleased with these baby steps. I'll share updates and maybe ask for advice from time to time, too.

Side note: one of my New Year's resolutions is to get back in the habit of blogging more regularly. Two posts so far - not a bad way to start the year :)